Yated Newspaper - Rebbetzin Henny Machlis a”h - Epitomizing Hachnosas Orchim 10/29/15, 11:34 AM search site Go Contact Us Classified Ads Request for Previously Published Article Subscriptions HOME EDITOR'S VIEW CHINUCH ROUNDTABLE WEEKLY NEWS ARTICLES E-MAIL EDITION SIGN UP YATED MEDIA KIT PERFIDY IN IOWA TEACHINGS FROM THE DAF Chinuch RoundTable Rebbetzin Henny Machlis A”H - Epitomizing Hachnosas a a a E-mail Edition Sign Up Orchim Editor's View Weekly News Articles Wednesday, October 21, 2015 By C. B. Weinfeld Yated Media Kit Some realities simply defy logic. As much as we try to comprehend them, we cannot wrap our minds around the facts. But since Perfidy in Iowa they are facts and not conjecture, we are forced to admit that there is a Higher Power Who makes the impossible happen, as long Teachings from the Daf as we do our share. The life of Rebbetzin Henny Machlis, who was niftar last Friday at the age of 58, is one such example. Like the famed Rav Meir Shuster, who picked up thousands of lost souls at the Western Wall, Henny was a legend. For many years, I have been hearing and reading about the famous Machlis family where over 100 people, and often many more, are welcomed each week for the Shabbos meals. The Machlis home in Maalot Dafna is modest by American standards, with a tiny kitchen that doesn’t have room for a table, but somehow their home stretched to accommodate everyone who needed a hot meal and a place to belong. “It was like going to the circus, where you see two clowns coming out of a small box, and you think that’s it, there’s no more room, but then another sixteen clowns somehow march out,” recalled a relative. “That was the Machlis oven (which had to be replaced every few years, due to its heavy-duty use). No matter how many people showed up unexpectedly, there were always more trays of chicken, more side dishes, more food.” Feeding the hungry, the tired, the impoverished and the broken-hearted, as well as seminary students, tourists, backpackers, and those looking for an authentic chavayah, isn’t cheap. In fact, the Machlis family, whose sole income is Rabbi Mordechai Machlis’ teaching positions, spends over $2500 a week on food! Over the years they spent their wedding money, mortgaged their home, and went deeply into debt to pay for this. Later, a fund was established for those who want a part of this incredible mitzvah. However, the bulk of the finances remained on their shoulders. “Rabbi Mordechai and Henny had a clear vision since they were married in 1979,” said a family member. “They wanted to bring the joy of Shabbos to as many people as they could. They felt that we are experiencing a spiritual Holocaust, that we are bleeding souls, and that every Yid should have a taste of true Shabbos. “They entered a partnership with Hashem: we will cook and serve the food, and You will help us with the money part. Though it was always a struggle, somehow, with Hashem’s help, they pulled through.” And what an operation it is! Watching the Machlis family prepare for Shabbos is akin to observing the goings on in a huge catering kitchen, minus the space and equipment. There might be the worry of finances, the issue of how to squeeze so many people into such a tiny space, but Henny never lost her cool. “I don’t know how she pulled it off, but she was always so incredibly relaxed,” the relative recalled. “Even if the meal was supposed to start at six, and by a quarter to six the food wasn’t ready, Henny would be calm and smiling. She knew it will work out somehow, and it always did.” Every week, like clockwork, the food order arrives on Thursday morning. It is quite a sight; cases of chickens, all manner of vegetables, and other staples are delivered to the front door. After the delivery men leave, the Machlis children and a group of dedicated volunteers roll up their sleeves and get to work. As Rebbetzin Machlis once shared in an interview, it took her and three of her children, working together, about eight or nine hours to cook all the food! While they chop, dice and stir, they daven that the food taste good and that their guests be inspired. As Henny explained, “Rabbi Nachman of Breslov said when you cook, the energy that you use goes into the food. If you cook with anger, you can poison people, but if you cook with joy, you can give them good health.” http://www.yated.com/rebbetzin-henny-machlis-a-h-epitomizing-hachnosas-orchim.0-1586-7-.html Page 1 of 5 Yated Newspaper - Rebbetzin Henny Machlis a”h - Epitomizing Hachnosas Orchim 10/29/15, 11:34 AM These massive meals are prepared 51 weeks a year, except for the week of Pesach, when the Machlis family goes away to have a private family seder and fulfill the mitzvah of vehigaditah levinchah. Even during a week of simchos, such as a family sheva brochos, the food is still cooked and prepared, while a volunteer is found to lead the meals. After all, leaving the regulars without a place to eat is unthinkable. Though the Machlis Shabbos experience is a joint effort, the heart and soul of the Machlis home was undoubtedly Henny, the akeres habayis. Though one might expect someone who spends endless hours in the kitchen doing heavy-duty work to appear harried and careworn, Henny’s face was always lit up with a joyous smile. The more she gave, the more she blossomed. Most remarkable of all, not only didn’t her children resent the money, time and attention that this Shabbos project usurped, they were felt proud and privileged to be a part of it. Unlike normal teenagers whose outlets are going to the mall or spending time with friends, the Machlis children looked forward to Thursdays in the kitchen, which were spent singing, chopping and dicing. Even a five year old Machlis girl would bake an incredible chocolate cake, from scratch! First Things First The fourteen Machlis children, ten daughters and four sons, grew up in an open home where the door was never locked. Yet they never felt like second-class citizens, shunted aside due to the often-overwhelming needs of others. Henny was a full-time mother since her sixth child was born. All week she was dedicated to her children, raising them with softness and love. During one interview with Henny, noted author Sara Yoheved Rigler observed an interaction between Henny and her then- young son, who threw an expensive tape recorder onto the floor. “We have to treat our appliances with respect, or they will break,” Henny serenely explained. When questioned how she could be so calm even though she could not afford to buy another one, Henny described how important it is to raise children in a calm environment. “Of course, we all lose it sometimes, and we all have our struggles. In our home, we try not to yell or hit. Rabbi Hirsh wrote that if you have a choice between being rigid and educating your children in all the values and behaviors that you cherish, or being loving and educating them without anger and not getting everything you want, it’s preferable to educate without anger. I always had a dream that I would have a peaceful home. Then it was just a matter of attaining it, with Hashem’s help and tefillah.” Henny’s youngest child, twelve year old Efrat, was born with Down Syndrome. She is a beautiful, happy child who fits right into the dynamics of this wonderful family. She was raised by her mother and nine older sisters, and happily joined in the weekly Machlis Shabbos cooking project. Many people making a simcha stress over the details such as exactly how many people are being served and how many portions they will need. When one’s Shabbos table can host anywhere between 80-150 people, how can one know how much to prepare? “They prepared for about 100 people, give or take, and somehow the food stretched,” extended family members recalled. What if there were less people? The Machlis relatives laughed. “There were almost never less than expected. If anything, the crowds grew over the years.” For most of Thursday and all of Friday, the Machlis kitchen resembled a well-oiled soup kitchen, with the most delectable dishes prepared one after another. Then came the moment of candle-lighting, when peace descended upon the humble apartment. Rabbi Machlis would daven at an early minyan and come home from shul before the guests in order to host the family meal, dedicated to the Machlis children. This meal, instituted several years ago, was exclusive family time, a cherished ritual that spoke louder than words. The children knew that they were the most important members of the home. Rabbi Machlis reviewed the parshah with the children and they sang zemiros and shmoozed. After the meal was up, that section of the dining room was cleared, the tables were reset, and the guests began flocking in. One never knew what to expect. The weekly guests ranged from the regulars, unfortunates who considered themselves Henny’s children, to curious tourists and university students to lonely widows and singles to drunks and mentally ill people. In fact, some of those who had nowhere to go would remain at the Machlis home for weeks at a time, eating at their table, showering, and sleeping in the Machlis home.